Daily Crypto Briefs 
NEW YORK, Feb. 27, 2026
MetaMask and Mastercard said MetaMask Card is now generally available in the U.S., offering a way to spend crypto from a self-custodial wallet across more than 150 million Mastercard merchant locations as bitcoin traded near $67,000.
Consensys, MetaMask’s parent company, said the rollout brings first-time access in New York and adds a paid Metal tier, positioning the card as a bridge between onchain balances and everyday payments through Apple Pay, Google Pay, and a physical card.
Market snapshot: bitcoin changed hands near $67,357, down about 1.0% over 24 hours, with roughly $45.4 billion in 24-hour trading volume and a market cap around $1.35 trillion, according to CoinGecko data. BTC was up about 1.8% over the past two weeks.
Bitcoin (BTC) price: 2-week snapshot
BTC
In a Feb. 26 release announcing general availability, Consensys said the MetaMask Card rollout expands nationwide and connects self-custodied assets to regulated payment infrastructure, with identity verification required for enrollment.
Gal Eldar, MetaMask’s product lead, said the goal is for “the line between onchain and offchain” to “fade away entirely.”
Consensys said the U.S. release follows a pilot it first unveiled at ETHDenver 2025 and extends an existing card footprint in parts of Latin America, the U.K., and the European Economic Area, as the company and its partners pushed the product from tests into broader distribution.
The launch comes as legacy payment firms push deeper into stablecoin rails, including Visa’s recent USDC settlement expansion in the U.S., and as wallets and fintech apps compete to become the default on-ramp for everyday spending.
MetaMask and Mastercard expand the card across the U.S.
Consensys said MetaMask Card is now available nationwide, including New York for the first time, and can be used wherever Mastercard is accepted online or in-store through Apple Pay, Google Pay, or a physical card. The company described the program as powered by Monavate and Mastercard’s payments network, and said the card is issued by Cross River Bank.
MetaMask’s support documentation describes MetaMask Card as a debit card and says the premium Metal tier carries an annual subscription of $199 and is available in the United States excluding Vermont. The company did not provide a detailed explanation for the Vermont exclusion in the materials reviewed for this report.
On rewards and fees, the company said purchases can earn mUSD cashback, with up to 1% back on the standard tier and up to 3% back for Metal cardholders on the first $10,000 spent per year. Its published limits and fees documentation also outlines a mix of card-program charges and network gas, with no-fee ATM withdrawals up to $1,200 per month for the Metal tier before percentage fees apply.
What self-custodial spending looks like at checkout
The core difference Consensys is pitching is custody: the company said users retain control of their digital assets in MetaMask until the moment they pay, rather than pre-loading funds to an exchange-linked card program. In practice, the support documentation says users choose supported tokens and networks, set spending limits, and the card converts those tokens into fiat at the point of purchase.
That design targets a familiar friction point for newcomers: most “crypto spending” products still behave like off-ramps that require transfers, waiting periods, and separate custodial balances. By keeping the spending flow inside a wallet many users already recognize, the card could serve as a lower-friction bridge for mainstream users who want to hold stablecoins like USDC and still pay in the places they already shop.
Consumer brands are also testing crypto access inside mainstream apps, including Walmart-backed OnePay’s in-app BTC and ETH trading feature, signaling that the competition is shifting from trading to distribution and payments.
KYC card rails and privacy rails are pulling in opposite directions
Consensys said enrollment requires identity verification and compliance checks, a reality that has become a flashpoint in crypto’s payments debate. Supporters argue regulated rails are the fastest path to merchant-scale acceptance, while critics say card-linked KYC can tighten the link between real-world identity, spending data, and onchain history.
That tension also shows up in who can use these systems. As software agents and automated wallets take on more financial tasks, identity-gated payment programs may remain out of reach for non-human actors, pushing some activity toward permissionless payment rails that do not rely on card networks.
For now, the key unknowns are how quickly Vermont becomes eligible, whether additional tokens and networks are added for U.S. users, and how competitive the total fee stack is once card-program costs and gas are included. Another signal to watch is whether more regulated U.S. institutions follow through on consumer-facing crypto services, building on trends like the recent surge in bank Bitcoin product planning.
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Primary sources and further reading
| Source | Title |
|---|---|
| | Consensys: MetaMask and Mastercard partner to launch the US MetaMask Card (Feb. 26, 2026) |
| | MetaMask Support: What is MetaMask Card? |
| | MetaMask Support: Use your card (Apple Pay, Google Pay, cashback) |
| | MetaMask Support: Limits and fees |
Fact-checked by: Daily Crypto Briefs Fact-Check Desk
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the MetaMask Card available in the United States?
Consensys said MetaMask Card is generally available across the U.S., including New York for the first time. MetaMask’s support documentation also notes the premium Metal tier is available in the U.S., excluding Vermont.
Is MetaMask Card self-custodial?
Yes. Consensys said users keep control of their digital assets in their MetaMask wallet until the moment they pay, unlike many crypto cards that require funds to be preloaded to a custodial account.
Does MetaMask Card require KYC or identity verification?
Yes. Consensys said enrollment requires identity verification and compliance checks in line with applicable financial regulations.
What tokens can you spend with MetaMask Card?
MetaMask’s support pages list supported tokens and networks for U.S. users, including USDC on supported networks and other listed assets such as mUSD and aUSDC.
How does MetaMask Card cashback work?
MetaMask’s documentation says eligible purchases can earn mUSD cashback, with a standard tier and a higher rate on the Metal tier, subject to annual thresholds and terms.